Building construction



Oct.-20, 1936. F. M. V ENZLE BUILDING CONSTRUCTION I I Filed oer. 26, 1955 2 Sheets-Shegt 1 IN ENTOR fkaaawcxfll kwz/s,

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ATTORNEY v '2 ,05s,372fl 2 Sheets-Shegt 2 F. M. VENZIE BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed 001;. 26, 1935 QQ ,Z

Oct; 20; 1936.

xxx 1 7 ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 20, 1936 UNITED *STATES ausea-12" f BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Frederick M. Venzie, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to National Gypsum Company,'"Bufialo,' N; Y., a corporation of Delaware Application October 26, 1933. Serial No. 695,239

' 11 Claims. (01. 72-46) My invention relates to building construction, and, more particularly, to novel interior surfacing units and the assembly thereof to form the interior finished surface of a room or building.

The present application is a continuation in part of my co-pending U. S. applications, Serial Nos. 689,579 and 664,703, filed, respectively, September 15, 1933 and April 6, 1933. 1

Heretofore in constructing the interiors. of buildings from a multiplicity of units, the units frequently either were so arranged and connected to their supports that a finish coating of plaster was needed to provide an even surface for. the construction was not sufiiciently fireproof to meet modern building requirements.

The present invention eliminates these faults and comprises the use of a multiplicity of composite units each having a metal surface, adapted to form a portion of a wall or ceiling surface, preferably also with at least two metallic tongued and/or grooved edges to assist in maintaining ad.- .jacent units in assembled position, and having ;a fireproof body of a fireproof material such as gypsum. Such units are connected to metallic supports in such a manner that no portion of the metal of the units comes into contact with the supports, as a result of which the metal cannot act as a conductor of heat and the construction is rendered more fireproof than those structures of the prior art in which the metal face of the surfacing unit is connected by metal with the metallic supports.

An object. of my invention is to provide afireproofgbuilding construction in which fireproof surfacing units provided with a smooth surface are positioned to form an interior wall or ceiling surface for a room.

A further object of my invention is to provide surfacing units suitable for use as partition walls, ceiling slabs, or for furring all of which may be formed in a common mold but each of which will best satisfy the requirements of the use to which it is put.

Yet another object of my invention is to provide an interior construction for a building which may be readily and cheaply erected and which will provide a finish at least as smooth and level as that of plaster at less cost.

A more specific object of my invention is to provide an interior construction for a building composedof a multiplicity of fireproof surfacing units, said units being adapted to permit the passage therethrough of means for maintaining the edge of adjacent units in abutting relations a. a

ing the connection of a partition unit respectively to its upper and lower supports;

'..; Fig-.;,6. is aside elevation of one edge ofa par- ,tition; unit; r

. Fig. '7 is a horizontal section on the line 1.'l

1 Fig, Bis ahorizontal section on the line 8-8 r f-F ea d Fig. 9 is a detailed perspective View of a clip embodied inmy invention. e

Referring particularlyto Fig. 1, from girders or beams l0 forming a portion of the framework of a building are hung a multiplicity of plasterers channels i I, with their lower faces in a common plane. These form a means for suspending in a common plane uniform ceiling slabs or surfac ing units 12 each of which is formed with a plurality, of bores l 5 therethrough, the axes of which are parallel and lie in a plane parallel to the faces of the, units. Through the bores l5 pass tie rods it slightly shorter than the width of the units. and threaded at opposite ends Ilia. to receive a nut ll whereby adjacent rods are joined (Fig 3) and adjacent units held with their edges in close abutting relationship under tensionfa washer 18 preferably being interposed between thej'nut I'l .andlthe unit against which it bears.

The l2 are connected to the plasterens,

channels II by "straps 19 passing around the nuts I and the channels, as shown most clearly' in H f The surfacing units l2 are preferably rectan- .gular'in form and formed of fireproof material such as gypsum. They may be made in any suitable mold and prior to their hardening the 'bores l5- are formed therein by passing rods tlierethrough temporarily. Preferably the units are formedwith notches I3.in their edges'adjacent the ends of thebores l5 and re-enforcing :rods l 4' above the bores, at .rightangles thereto .fiFiaqt), and extending substantially the, full length of the unit. fI'hus when the units are supportedbythe rods l6 therods do not depend upon the strength of the gypsum immediately above them fortheir support but .are supported by the reenforcing rods Hi. The gypsum unit after being cured is then placed in a metal shell 30 having tongues 30a and grooves 30b on its edges and secured thereto as by shellac or other suitable adhesive, the metal of the shell extending up the sides of the gypsum past the plane of the bores I 5 and being perforated to allow the the passage of the rods l6 and nuts I! therethrough. V p

In order to support furring or sidewalls I provide, on the floor F, a nailing strip 25 to which is connected T-shaped clips 26. Into the out-er walls W of the building are drivena multiplicity of channel or angle members 20 on which are mounted, preferably by bolts 22,1plasterers channels 2|. The channels 2I' may be identical with the channels II but are positioned so that the surfaces facing the room side lie in a single vertical plane.

Surfacing units I2 are positioned on the clips 26,'rods I6 passed therethrough, and after the nuts Il are screwed thereon the units are connected, by straps I9 passing around the nuts IT, to the channel 2i. Thereafter other clips 26 are fastened to the nailing strip 25- to hold the room side of the lower end of the surfacing units against the clips26 previously positioned on the room side thereof.

From the above description it will be obvious that except for the mannerin which the lower ends of the surfacing units of the side walls are held in place, and forthe difference in planes the ceilings and walls-maybe of identical construction. It is within the purview of my invention, however, that the-thickness of'the-surfacing units may be varied in accordance with local building laws and. that the ceiling surfacing units may be either relatively thicker or'thinner than side wall or 'furring units.

Upon completion of the ceiling and side walls, partitions may be readily erected'by positioning angle 24 and-nailing strips 25 at desired locations and erecting partition units 35, a U-shaped clip 23 being inserted in slots 33 formed in opposite ends of the units. I

The partition units 35 may be made in the same marmer as the units I2 but'preferably in deeper molds so that they may be thicker, and with a metal shell 30 on each face. Such units preferably are formed with passageways 32 running lengthwise through the unit s'and with the slots 33 in opposite ends through which conduits, etc.; indicatedat 34, may be run both vertically and horizontally; Since otherwise the'partition units 35 are similar to the units I 2 previously described and similar numbers have been applied to the parts which they have in common they will not here be further described.

Where it is necessary to provide' a doorway 36 in a partition wall I prefer to use the decrease described in detail in my co-pending application for U. s. Patent Serial No. 695,240, filed October 26, 1933. The legs 31 of thedoorcase may be of an irregular channel shape in cross section (Fig. 7) and be secured against movement on the floor by clips 38 (Fig. 9 The clips 38 may comprise being positioned" so as t co nect with the' rods 16 passing through theunits '35.-

'By reason'of this arrangement the units 35 may be held under tension against the doorcase.

In order to finish the end of the walls, eitherv partition or side, the last unit may be sawed lengthwise to the proper dimension and suincient space left to tighten the nut I! which should be forced well into the core of the unit. Theremainingspace may then be filled by an expansion member 43 Whichcomprises two reversed telescoping'channels H and 42 the larger of, the two, 4|, being of the same thickness as the walls and lying with its web in contact with the edge of the surfacing unit. The web of the channel 4| is formed with a re-entrant portion and theedgesofwhich abut nails 43 or similar pro'jecting'means to prevent movement of the "expansion unit out of a vertical plane. Expan- =sion springs provide means for keeping the tie rods and the straps by which the units are.

connected to thechannelsw As a result, incase of fire, hea'tis not transmitted through these conductors to within the wall butv must pass through the relatively: non-conductive core;

Various modifications maybe :made in the above described embodiment ofiny'i invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, as set forth in the following claims. What I claim is: I

' 1. A building "construction comprisingsupports,-a multiplicity of metal covered fireproof units, means for holding-said units with their marginal edges in abutting. relationship, and means for connecting said units to saidsupports. 2. A building interior construction comprising supporting means, a multiplicity of surfacing units, each of said units having a metal face and -a fireproof body, the edges'of each of said units abutting the edges of adjacent units,-'and..means for connecting said units to said} support; 3. A building construction comprising supports, a multiplicity of fireproof units,*said units having metal coverings on such faces as are exposed to the room side of said construction, means for holding 'saidunitswith their marginal edges in abutting relationship; and means for connecting said unitsjt'o said supports."-' V 1 4. A building construction comprising supports, a multiplicity of metal covered'fireproof surfacing units, means for holding said unitswith their marginal 5 edges in abutting relationship, some of said units being provided with'passageways therethrough in one-directionfor conduits and in another direction for said last named means, and means connecting said units-to said supports. i '5. A building interior construction compris ing metal supportsy-a multiplicity of surfacing units each having a metal-face and at least two metal edges, and means connecting said units to said supports 'while maintaining the metal of said units out of contact with said supports. 6.'A surfacing unit adapted for erection upon the inside of a building cor'np'risin'g a core of gypsum and aface andat least a portion of two sides of'metaL'said-core having tubular passageways passing therethrough with their axes -"in planes parallel to the planes in which lie said metal sides, and bores of lesser diameter than said tubular passageways at right angles thereto, said core being recessed adjacent the ends of said bores.

7. A building interior construction comprising supporting means, a multiplicity of surfacing units adapted for erection upon the inside of a building each comprising a core of gypsum and a face and at least a portion of two sides of metal, at least one of said cores having tubular passageways passing therethrough with their axes in planes parallel to the planes in which lie said metal sides, and bores of lesser diameter than said tubular passageways at right angles thereto, said core being recessed adjacent said bores; tension members passing through said bores for maintaining the edges of adjacent units in abutting relationship, and means engaging said tension members for connecting said units to said supporting means.

8. A building construction comprising a doorcase, surfacing units adapted for assembly to form a wall, means for anchoring said doorcase to a floor, means for connecting said surfacing units to said doorcase, said means necessitating a space between the end of the last of the units in said wall and an adjacent wall, and an expansible member filling said space and lying in the planes of the major surfaces of said units.

9. A building construction comprising surfacing units, means for connecting each of said surfacing units to an adjacent one to form a wall, said means necessitating a space between the end of the last of the units in said 'wall and an adjacent wall, and an expansible member filling said space and lying in the planes of the major surfaces of said units.

10. A building construction comprising supports, a multiplicity of surfacing units and expansible means extending the full height of the said units between the end of a wall'composed of said surfacing units and a wall at a right angle thereto and lying in the planes of the major surfaces of said units.

11. A building construction comprising supports, a multiplicity of surfacing units, means for connecting said units to form a wall, and expansible means extending the full height of the said units between the end of a wall composed of the said units and a wall at a right angle thereto and lying in the planes of the major surfaces of said units.

FREDERICK M. VENZIE. 

